Earphone housing with offset opening for sound quality variation



EARPHONE nousme WITH OFFSET OPENING FOR scum) QUALITY VARIATION Filed Feb.

W. H. LAWN Jam. 6, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Mi/WM l2 Aw/W BY flrroxnlzyx w. H. LAHTI 3,488,457 ING WITH OFFSET OPENING FOR SOUND QUALITY VARIATION Jan. 6, 1970 BARFHONE HOUS Filed Feb. 4. 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR. Mot/14M 1% 4447/ BY 4. MM m lrramvsy;

U.S. Cl. 179-156 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An earphone and support for removably supporting the earphone over the ear of a user in which the earphone includes a housing enclosing a receiver and the housing has an aperture that is disposed to one side of the vertical center of the housing, the housing being otherwise generally symmetrical about the vertical center axis. Hence, the earphone may be worn so that the lateral spacing of the sound energy emitting offset aperture may be varied with respect to the ear canal of the user. This may be accomplished by reversing the earphone with respect to one ear, or by removing the earphone from one ear and placing it on the other ear of a user. The relative lateral displacement of the sound energy emitting aperture in the earphone and the ear canal, determines the quality of the sound energy that is transmitted to the auditory sense organs in the ear canal of the user.

This invention relates generally to receivers for converting electrical energy signals into compressional wave energy for application to the auditory sense organs of an individual and is more particularly directed to the class of receivers comprising an earphone assembly adapted to be disposed externally of the auditory canal of a user.

One typical application in which may invention may be used is that concerned with present day, high quality listening systems which are adapted to reproduce recorded program material and, most often, utilize the principles of stereophonic sound wherein dual channel recording and reproducing techniques are used to simulate the operation of the auditory sense organs of an individual in experiencing live program material so as to create substantially the same sensations when listening to recorded program material. A substantial proportion of the equipment utilized for this purpose is designed to be used in a private sense in that suitable earphones are provided for direct application to the head of an individual and the program material is supplied directly to the auditory sense organs of the individual. In using headsets, or earphones, available in prior art apparatus, the majority of the users have experienced the common sensation of having the sound energy from the source or sources of program material, emanating from a source rearwardly of their ears. This sensation, of course, is completely opposite to the sensation experienced by an individual when listening to live program material in, for example, a concert hall or auditorium. As will be set forth in detail below, one feature of my invention eliminates this false sensation to provide improved realism and satisfaction by an individual listening to such program material.

It may also be noted that the tonal quality of program material required for satisfaction of various individuals varies over a substantial range and the satisfaction derived from listening to the program material is dependent toa large extent upon the subjective requirements and re sponses of the auditory sense organs of the several individuals. A further feature of my invention allows adjustment of the quality and resultant auditory sensation to the satisfaction of an individual within a range of values whereby attenuation of the high frequency spec- United States Patent 3,488,457 Patented Jan. 6, 1970 trum in a source of program material may be easily adjusted between suitable levels.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide an improved earphone.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved earphone for use in stereophonic headsets.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved earphone which may be operative to control the quality of compressional wave energy applied to the auditory sense organs of a user.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved earphone having a compressional wave energy transmitting aperture that may be adjustably disposed on the head of an individual to provide variable sound tone quality to the auditory sense organ of an individual.

With these and other objects in mind, my invention may be seen to comprise an earphone housing which is adapted to receive and contain a source of compressional wave energy, an opening in the housing adapted to be disposed over the ear of an individual, a cover plate dlS- posed over the opening on the earphone housing and having a sound energy transmitting aperture displaced from the center thereof and an annular cushion disposed in proximity to the periphery of the earphone housing and the cover member for substantial sound sealing engagement on the head of an individual in proximity to the external ear.

Other objects and advantages of my invention may become apparent from a consideration of the appended specification, claims and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a headset assembly to which the principles of my invention may be applled;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevation view of one of the earphones shown on FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side sectional view taken along section line 33 on FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are diagrammatic sketches of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in operative disposition with respect to an ear; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along section line 7--7 on FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference characters have been applied to like elements, there is shown, in FIG. 1, a complete headset assembly which is comprised of right and left earphones 1 ll and 11 that are adjustably disposed on a headband and support assembly 12 so that the apparatus may be used to dispose the earphones on the head of an individual in a manner Well known in the art.

The remainder of the figures of the drawings illustrate the several features of right earphone 10 insofar as the elements of which it is constructed and the relationship of an assembled earphone to the ear of an individual to obtain and illustrate the principles of my invention.

Referring specifically to FIGS. 2, 3 and 7, right earphone 10 is shown comprised of a hollow, cup shaped housing 13 having an interior chamber 14 and an opening 15 that is adapted to be disposed over the ear of an individual and, in the embodiment shown, is of generally oval shape. Suitable transducing means, indicated by reference character 16, are shown in dotted outline as the exact nature of this element may easily be determined by one skilled in the art and it is important only to note that transducer 16 is comprised generally of a means for translating electrical energy into compressional wave, or sound energy. Transducer 16 may take the form of a loudspeaker type receiver having a fairly large diaphragm and being dimensioned so as to fit within opening 15 on cup shaped housing 13. A loading plate cover 18, having an aperture 19 disposed at a location displaced from its center, is shown disposed in substantial sealing relationship with opening 15 in cup shaped housing 13 and overlies the illustrative loudspeaker type of receiver shown in FIG. 3. Aperture 19, therefore, defines an offset outlet for compressional wave energy generated within cup shaped housing 13. A suitable protective. grille means, shown in the form of plastic screening 23, may be disposed on top of cover member 18. A suitably dimensioned cushion member 17 is further disposed on opening 15 of cup shaped housing 13 and is provided to effect a substantial acoustic seal with the head of an individual and is dimensioned to allow a range of adjustment of the position of cushion 17 with respect to the ear of an individual.

In FIG. 2, the approximate center of aperture 19 in cover member 18 is indicated by reference character 20 and in FIGS. 4, and 6, the approximate center of the ear canal in the ear of an individual is indicated by reference character 22. On FIG. 7, a central axis 24 is shown on the top sectional view of right earphone to indicate the relative, off-center disposition of center line 20 on aperture 19 with respect to center line 24.

In FIG. 4 of the drawings, the relative disposition of the dotted representation of the ear of an individual, 21, with respect to aperture 19 is indicated with earphone 11 in its forward extreme position with respect to the head and ear of an individual. The relative displacement of the center portions of an ear canal, as indicated by reference character 22 and aperture 19, as indicated by reference character 20, may easily be seen and it should also be noted that earphone assembly 11 may be moved rearwardly on the head of an individual to provide a range of adjustments of the relative distances between center lines 22 and 20 whereby the subjective listening requirements of an individual may be satisfied within a range of position so as to provide for the listening satisfaction of various individuals while still maintaining the desired degree of real or apparent directionality of the source of compressional wave energy to provide a simulation of realism for the individual which corresponds, substantially, to that obtained when listening to live sources of program material from the normal listeners position.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, earphone 10 is shown in a reversed position with aperture 19 disposed rearwardly of the ear canal of an individual and a range of adjustments are indicated by showing the relative disposition of an ear, 21, having a center line axis 22 shown for the ear canal, with respect to aperture 19 to indicate the range of relative positions that may be attained by suitably disposing earphone 10 in different positions on the head of an individual with respect to the external ear. In the general relative positions shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a range of attenuation for the higher frequency components of a compressional wave signal emanating from within earphone 10 may be provided so that adjustment by the individual of the relative position of earphone 10, and aperture 19, with respect to his ear canal will provide the most pleasurable balance of frequencies in the program material.

The above-noted description and illustrative embodiment of my invention should clearly indicate to those skilled in the art the features of providing an adjustable earphone for controlling the balance or tone quality of a compressional wave or sound signal applied to the ear canal of a user by providing structure that may be adjustably disposed on the head of an individual, with respect to the external ear portion, and which includes a sound aperture in an earphone assembly that is displaced in an off center location. It should likewise be noted that the apparent directionality, as sensed by the auditory sense organs of an individual, may also be controlled by adjusting the position of the aperture with respect to the ear canal of an individual. Other modifications and configurations of apparatus embodying the above-described principles of my invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art and such modifications are considere to be within the scope of my invention.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described by invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Listening apparatus comprising in combination; a earphone, said earphone including a cup shaped housing having an open end adapted to be. disposed over the ear of a user, transducer means mounted in said housing, a cover plate mounted on the open end of said housing and having a single aperture laterally displaced from the vertical axis of said housing, and means extending forwardly of the peripheral edge of said housing to sealingly engage the head of a user and to space said cover plate and said housing outwardly from the ear of said user; and mounting means adapted to engage the head of a user, said mounting means being operative to adjustably, supportively engage said earphone for adjustable disposition of said earphone over the ear of said user whereby the vertical axis of the housing may be variably displaced forwardly or rearwardly of the ear canal of said user whereby the auditory sensation experienced by said user may be varied as to the frequency content.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which there are a pair of earphones.

3. The. apparatus of claim 1 in which the mounting means is adapted to removably adjustably dispose the earphone over either ear of the user.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which there are a pair of earphones.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,112,005 11/1963 Shaw et al 179182 3,272,926 9/1966 Falkenberg 179-156 KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Primary Examiner T. W. BROWN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 179182 

